Artisan Ice System, Method and Apparatus

ABSTRACT

In a system for production of artisan ice, a freezer receives an artisan ice production unit comprising a water bath, a mold bottom and a mold top. The mold bottom and top define a mold that is partially immersed in the water bath when the water bath and mold are engaged and filled with water. The water bath may be heated by a heat source to control freezing of the water in the mold. The water bath, and mold top define lips above the level of water in the mold to prevent leakage of water from the mold and water bath. The mold bottoms may be stacked when the mold bottoms contain artisan ice portions for compact storage of the artisan ice portions.

I. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A. Field of the Invention

The Invention is a system for commercial production and storage ofartisan ice, as defined below, and a method for the production andstorage of artisan ice. The Invention also is an apparatus forproduction of artisan ice.

B. Statement of the Related Art

‘Clear ice’ is water ice that is substantially free of trapped gasbubbles or suspended particulate matter. As a result, clear ice issubstantially transparent. In clear ice production, water freezes in asingle direction. Freezing the water in a single direction allows gasbubbles and suspended particulate matter that are forced from solutionduring freezing to move ahead of the advancing ice so that the gasbubbles and particulate matter are not trapped by the ice.

Conventional clear ice production may utilize a cascade of water overthe face of the freezing ice to wash gas bubbles and particulate matterfrom the ice. This technology can produce clear ice cubes of up to 1.25inches on a side, which is a limitation of the water-cascade technology.Alternatively, conventional clear ice production may use mechanicalmixing to strip the gas bubbles and particulate matter from the face ofthe freezing ice. This technology is suitable for producing large blocksof clear ice. Conventional clear ice production systems are not flexibleas to the size or shape of the clear ice produced.

‘Artisan ice’ is a single-serving portion of clear ice that is largerthan the 1.25 inch prior art technological limit for commercialproduction of single serving portions of conventional clear ice. Artisanice is generally in the shape of a sphere of about 2.5 inches indiameter or of a cube about 2.5 inches on a side. Artisan ice is sizedso that only a single portion of artisan ice will fit within aconventional drinking glass. Artisan ice is sought after to servepatrons of bars, nightclubs and restaurants. Patrons find artisan ice tobe attractive and desirable and to justify the premium price for abeverage served with the artisan ice. When used to chill a beverage in adrinking glass, the large size and relatively small surface area of aportion of artisan ice results in longer life, slower melting and lessdilution of the beverage than is the case for smaller pieces ofconventional clear ice.

The problem of commercial production of artisan ice has not been solvedusing the conventional technologies of the water cascade or mechanicalmixing. A common prior art strategy to produce artisan ice is to cut alarge block of clear ice into smaller portions of clear ice using a bandsaw and then to mold the smaller portions into spheres or other shapesusing a hand-operated mold or to manually carve the artisan ice usingcutting tools. This process of hand shaping each individual portion ofartisan ice is labor and energy intensive and hence expensive and notsuitable for a commercial environment.

Damage to the artisan ice after it is created also is important to thecommercial production of artisan ice. Artisan ice portions that arecracked or chipped are considered undesirable by patrons.

Efforts have been made to allow consumers to produce small quantities ofartisan ice for personal use by retarding the rate of freezing of waterin a mold and by controlling the direction of freezing. The consumersystems present issues of timing and storage of the artisan ice. In atypical clear ice system for personal use, the shaped clear ice must beremoved from the molds in a narrow window of time. Otherwise, the shapedclear ice will freeze to the molds and be difficult to remove. Thestorage issue is that if two portions of ice are placed in contact witheach other, the two portions of ice will tend to freeze together. Themerging of the two portions is due to fluctuating temperature within thefreezer and also due to pressure effects—the increased pressure of aportion of ice bearing on another reduces the freezing temperature ofthe water at the point of contact and melting the ice at the point ofcontact. The subsequent re-freezing of the water at the point of contactwelds the two pieces of ice together.

What is needed is an artisan ice production system that can be used in acommercial environment such as a bar or restaurant, that allows readyremoval of artisan ice portions from the molds, and that allows storageof the artisan ice portions without artisan ice portions contacting oneanother and without damage to the artisan ice portions. The prior artdoes not teach the apparatus, system and method of the Invention.

II. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the system of the Invention, a commercial upright freezer includesinsulated walls and a door. The air within the freezer is cooled tobelow the freezing temperature of water by any conventionalrefrigeration system, such as Carnot cycle refrigeration. The freezermay be divided into a production portion and a storage portion. Theproduction portion is for the purpose of freezing water into artisan iceportions. The storage portion is for storing the frozen artisan iceportions for use. The production and storage portions may be one and thesame.

The production portion of the freezer includes a plurality of surfaces.Each of the surfaces is configured to support a single artisan iceproduction unit. Each surface includes a heat source configured to heatall or a part of the surface on which the artisan ice production unitwill reside. Each heat source may be any heat-producing or heat transferapparatus, such as an electrical resistance heater or a Peltier device.

The commercial freezer includes a control system to control the airtemperature within the freezer, to control whether any or all heatsources are activated, and to control the amount of heat generated byeach heat source. The commercial freezer may include sensors to informthe control system of the air temperature and the temperature of one ormore of the heat sources. A sensor connected to the control system maybe embedded in the water bath, mold bottom, or mold top.

The system of the Invention includes at least one artisan ice productionunit. The artisan ice production unit is configured to be supportedwithin the freezer by one of the surfaces of the production portion ofthe freezer. Each artisan ice production unit includes three components:a water bath, a mold bottom and a mold top. The mold bottom and mold topcooperate to define a mold.

As used in this document, the term ‘artisan ice portion’ is thesingle-serving piece of clear ice produced by the freezing of water inthe mold. The mold defines the shape of the artisan ice portion. Themold top and bottom may be hemispherical to produce a spherical artisanice portion. The mold top and bottom may define a plurality of the sameshapes, for example eight shapes, so that a plurality of artisan iceportions will be produced at one time. The shapes defined by the moldtop and mold bottom may be the same for the plurality of shapes or theymay be different. For example, a single combination of a mold top and amold bottom may define both spheres and cubes. The shape defined by themold is not limited to spheres and cubes and the shape of the resultingartisan ice portion can be any three-dimensional solid, provided thatthe artisan ice portion can be released from the mold without damage tothe artisan ice portion or to the mold.

The water bath is an open-top, watertight tray configured to receive andto support the mold bottom. When the water bath contains water and themold bottom is supported by the water bath, at least a portion of themold bottom is submerged in the water contained in the water bath. Thewatertight tray may define a plurality of chambers, with each chambercorresponding to one of the shapes defined by the plurality of shapes ofthe mold bottom. Alternatively, the watertight tray of the water bathmay define a single reservoir.

The water bath defines a water bath lip about the periphery of the waterbath. The mold top both defines a mold top lip around the periphery ofthe mold top. The water bath and mold bath lips are upstanding andextend upward to a lip level, which is above the level of water in themold when the mold and water bath are filled with water. When assembled,the mold top lip fits within and mates with the water bath lip. Thisarrangement avoids the need to make the joints watertight between thewater bath, mold bottom and mold top and avoids water leaking from themold when the mold is filled.

The mold top defines a water fill hole at the top of the top of eachmold top. The water fill hole is surrounded by a fill lip, which alsoextends in the upward direction to or above the lip level. The fill lipcatches overflow or spillage of water from the mold and acts as a waterlevel indicator—when water extends from the mold into the volume definedby the fill lip, the mold is completely filled.

In use, the mold top and water bath are releasably attached to the moldbottom by a clip to define the assembled artisan ice production unit.The mold bottom may define the clip. Clipping the mold top and waterbath together prevents the mold top from floating when the artisan iceproduction unit is filled with water. The water-filled artisan iceproduction unit is placed in the production portion of the freezer, withthe water bath in contact with a heat source. At least a portion of themold bottom is submerged in the water of the water bath. The mold bottomdefines a perforation below the level of water within the water bath sothat the water within the mold is in communication with the water in thewater bath.

The cold air within the freezer chills the mold top. The mold top isun-insulated and heat moves across the walls of the mold top from thewater in the mold to the cold air of the freezer. The chilled wateradjacent to the mold top begins to freeze. Gas within the freezing wateris forced from solution, along with dissolved solids. The water in themold freezes from the top downward, with the growing ice forcingdissolved gas and solids out of solution and driving the resulting gasbubbles and suspended solids before it. When the gas bubbles andsuspended solids reach the perforations, the gas and solids are expelledfrom the mold and are not incorporated into the clear ice of the artisanice portion.

The water bath acts as a heat reservoir, warming the mold bottom anddefining the temperature gradient through the mold from top to bottom.The water bath thus controls the rate of freezing of water within themold. The heat source provides additional heat to the water in the waterbath as necessary to control the rate of freezing of the water in themold. The water bath buffers heat from the heat source to provide evenheat transfer to the mold bottom. The combination of the water bath andthe heat source, all under the control of the control system, providesan adequately slow rate of freezing for the water in the mold so thatthe advancing ice does not overtake the gas bubbles and suspendedsolids. As a result, the ice remains clear. The control of thetemperature gradient across the mold allows the highest rate of freezingpossible consistent with the production of clear ice.

When the water within the mold is frozen to define an artisan iceportions, a user may remove the artisan ice production unit from thefreezer and remove the mold top and water bath. The user will leave theartisan ice portions in the mold bottom and place the mold bottom andartisan ice portions in the storage portion of the freezer, ready foruse. Leaving the artisan ice portions in the mold bottom segregates theartisan ice portions from one another, avoiding damage to the artisanice portions by cracking or by welding the artisan ice portions one tothe other. The mold bottom and artisan ice portions combination may bestacked, allowing compact storage of the artisan ice portions.

The method of the Invention is the use of the system of the Invention toproduce artisan ice portions. The apparatus of the Invention isaddressed to the artisan ice production unit.

III. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is front view of the freezer with artisan ice production unitsand stored artisan ice portions in the freezer.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the freezer of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view of the freezer without the artisan ice productionunits, artisan ice portions or freezer door.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the artisan ice production unit.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the artisan ice production unit with aheat source and sensor.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the artisan ice production unit.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the mold bottom.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the mold top.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the water bath.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of stacked artisan ice portions and moldbottoms.

FIG. 11 is a sectional end view of a stacked pair of mold bottomscombined with artisan ice portions.

IV. DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

The artisan ice production system 2 includes a freezer 4, shown by FIGS.1, 2 and 3. FIG. 1 is a front view of the freezer 4. FIG. 2 is a sidesectional view of the freezer 4. FIG. 3 is a perspective of the outsideof the freezer 4.

From FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the freezer 4 includes insulated walls 6 and adoor (not shown) to define a closed interior 8 of the freezer 4. Thefreezer 4 defines an ice production portion 10 and an ice storageportion 12. The ice production and storage portions 10, 12 may be oneand the same. Air 14 on the interior 8 of the freezer 4 is chilledconventionally to below the freezing temperature of water.

Artisan ice production units 16 are filled with water 18. A user slideshe artisan ice production unit 16 into the ice production portion 10 ofthe freezer 4, as shown by FIGS. 1 and 2. The artisan ice productionunit 16 is supported within the freezer 4 by a surface 20, which may bea shelf. The surface 20 includes a heat source 22. Sensors 26 inform acontrol system 24 as to the temperature of the heat source 22 and thetemperature of the air 14 within the production portion 10. The system 2may include as many sensors 26 as required by the control system 24 toclosely control the rate of freezing of the water 18 in the artisan iceproduction unit 16. Sensors 26 may be included to detect the temperatureof the chilled air 14, the temperature of the heat source 2, and anyother parameters that may be useful to the control system 24 to controlthe rate of freezing of the water in the artisan ice production unit 16.Sensors may be imbedded in the artisan ice production units 16.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are exploded views and FIG. 6 is a sectional view of theassembled artisan ice production unit 16. The artisan ice productionunit 16 includes a water bath 28 and a mold 30. The mold 30 comprises amold top 32 and a mold bottom 34. The mold 30 defines the shape 36 ofthe artisan ice portion 38. In the examples of FIGS. 1, 2, 4-8, and 10,the shape 36 is a sphere. The shape 36 may be any three-dimensional formwhere the resulting artisan ice portion 38 can be released from the moldtop 32 and mold bottom 34 without damage to the artisan ice portion 38or to the mold 30. Example suitable shapes 36 include a sphere, cube,and rectangular solid, but many other shapes 36 may be used.

As shown by FIGS. 4-6 and 9, the water bath 28 defines one or more waterreservoirs 40. In the examples shown, the water bath 28 defines aseparate water reservoir 40 for each of the shapes 36 defined by themold top and bottom 32, 34. Alternatively, the water bath 28 may definea single water reservoir 40 configured to receive all of the shapes 36defined by the mold top and bottom 32, 34. The water bath 28 also mayincorporate more than one reservoir 40 but fewer reservoirs 40 than thenumber of shapes 36 defined by the mold top and bottom 32, 34. Thereservoirs 40 are in thermal communication with the heat source 22 whenthe artisan ice production unit 16 is on the support 20 in theproduction portion 10 of the freezer 4. In the example of FIG. 6, theheat source 22 warms a heat transfer plate 44 that in turn selectablywarms the water 18 in the water bath 28.

From FIG. 6, when the mold 30 and water bath 28 are filled with water18, the wall of the mold bottom 34 is in contact with the water 18 inwater bath 28. The water 18 within the mold 30 therefore is in thermalcommunication with the water 18 in the water bath 28 through the wall ofthe mold bottom 34. The mold top 32 is exposed to the chilled air 14 inthe freezer 4. The water 18 in the mold 30 therefore is in thermalcommunication with the chilled air 14 in the freezer 4 through the moldtop 32. Neither the mold bottom 34 nor the mold top 32 is insulated.

When the artisan ice production unit 16 is filled with water 18 and islocated within the freezer 4, heat flows from the relatively warm water18 inside the mold 30 through the mold top 32 to the chilled air 14. Theheat flow from the mold 30 is indicated by arrow ‘A’ on FIG. 6. As thewater 18 inside the mold 30 cools and begins to freeze, heat flows fromthe relatively warm water 18 in the reservoir 40 through the mold bottom34 into the relatively cool water 18 in the mold 30, indicated by arrow‘B’ of FIG. 6. The flow of heat from the reservoir 40 to the mold 30controls the temperature gradient in the mold 30 and hence the rate offreezing of the water 18 in the mold 30. The reservoir 40 and moldbottom 34 are configured so that the rate of heat transfer through themold bottom 34 is such that the rate of freezing of water 18 in the mold30 is adequately slow so that gas bubbles and suspended particulatematter forced from solution by the advancing ice are not trapped in theice and continue to move in advance of the ice. As heat flows from thereservoir 40 to the mold 30 and from the mold 30 to the chilled air 14,the water 18 in the reservoir 40 cools. As the water 18 in the reservoir40 cools, the transfer of heat from the reservoir 40 to the mold 30slows and the reservoir 40 loses its control authority over the freezingof water 18 in the mold 30. The control system 24, informed by thesensors 26, then commands the heat source 22 to warm the water 18 in thereservoir 40, restoring heat available for transfer from the reservoir40 to the mold 30 and restoring the control authority of the reservoir40 over the rate of freezing of water 18 in the mold 30. The flow ofsupplemental heat from the heat source 22 to the mold 30 is indicated byarrow ‘C’ of FIG. 6. The water 18 in the reservoir 40 buffers andsmooths the flow of heat from the heat source 22 to the water 18 in themold 30

From FIGS. 6 and 7, the mold bottom 34 includes a perforation 42 so thatthe water 18 in the mold 30 communicates with the water 18 in thereservoir 40. When the clear ice freezing in the mold 30 reaches thebottom of the mold bottom 34, the gas bubbles and suspended particulatematter are expelled from the mold 30 through the perforation 42 and arenot incorporated into the artisan ice portion 38.

As shown by FIGS. 6-9, the artisan ice production unit 16 includesfeatures that prevent the artisan ice production unit 16 from leakingwhen filled with water 18 even thought the joints between the water bath28, mold bottom 34 and mold top 32 are not watertight. The first ofthose features is an upstanding water bath lip 44 that is defined by aperiphery 46 of the water bath 28, best illustrated by FIG. 9. The waterbath 28 defines a watertight tray that will contain water 18 withoutleakage up to a lip level 48, shown by FIGS. 6 and 9. The lip level 48is above the level of water 18 in the mold 30 when the artisan iceproduction unit 16 is filled with water 18. The mold bottom 34 does notdefine a lip and is submerged in water 18 when the artisan iceproduction unit 16 is filled with water 18.

The mold top 32 defines a mold top lip 50 defined by the periphery ofthe mold top 32. The mold top lip 50 extends upward to or above the liplevel 48 and prevents water 18 overflowing an over-filled water bath 28from flooding the mold top 32. The use of the water bath lip 44 and themold top lip 50 that extend above the water level of the mold 30 alsoprovides that none of the joints between the water bath 28, mold top 32and mold bottom 34 need be watertight. Watertight joints are notrequired to prevent water 18 leakage from the mold 30 or water bath 28.

The water bath 28 and mold top 32 must be selectably attached togetherto prevent the mold top 32 from floating on the water bath 28 when theartisan ice production unit 16 is filled with water 18. As shown by FIG.4, the mold bottom 34 defines a clip 58. The mold top 32 defines a moldtop latch 60 and the water bath 28 defines a water bath latch 62. Whenthe artisan ice production unit 16 is assembled, the clip 58 engagesboth the mold top latch 60 and water bath latch 62, securing the artisanice production unit 16 in the assembled condition and preventing themold top 32 from floating on the water bath 28.

Although watertight joints are not required, it is desirable to preventadjacent artisan ice portions 38 in adjacent molds 30 from freezingtogether. The mating surfaces of the mold top 32 and mold bottom 34 mayfeature mating crenellations 52 to prevent ice bridging between adjacentmolds 30, as shown by FIG. 6.

The mold 30 may be filled through a fill hole 54 (FIGS. 6 and 8). Thefilling process may be either manual by a human operator or may beautomatic. A fill lip 56 may surround the fill hole 54. The fill lip 56also extends upward to the lip level 48, just as the water bath lip 44and the mold top lip 50. The fill lip 56 serves to protect againstspills of water 18 and overfilling of the water bath 28 and mold 30. Thefill lip 56 also serves as a fill indicator. The presence of water 18 inthe fill lip 56 informs a user that the mold 30 and water bath 28 arefilled with water 18.

From FIGS. 1, 2, 7, 10 and 11, the mold bottoms 34 provide a convenientmeans to store completed artisan ice portions 38 without allowing theartisan ice portions 38 to touch and without damage to the artisan iceportions 38. When the freezing process is completed, a user removes theartisan ice production unit 16 from the freezer 4, depresses the clip 58and separates the mold top 32 from the mold bottom 34 and the water bath28. The artisan ice portions 38 may remain with the mold bottom 34, asshown by FIGS. 10 and 11. The mold bottoms 34, with the artisan iceportions 38, may be stacked as shown by FIGS. 10 and 11 and may bestored in the storage portion 12 of the freezer 4, as shown by FIGS. 1and 2.

FIG. 11 is a sectional end view of a pair of mold bottoms 34 that arestacked and that contain artisan ice portions 38. FIG. 11 illustratesthat each mold bottom 34 defines one or more artisan ice engagingfeatures 68. The artisan ice engaging features 68 of a mold bottom 34are configured to engage one or more artisan ice portions 38 supportedby a lower mold bottom 34. The artisan ice engaging features allow themold bottoms 34 and artisan ice portions 38 to be stacked without theuppermost mold bottom 34 from sliding from the artisan ice portions 38supported by the lower mold bottom 34.

The water bath may be insulated against heat loss from its sides toprevent heat loss from the water bath 28 except through the mold bottom34. Such insulation 64 reduces the energy requirements for the heatsource 22. Insulation also may be disposed on the underside of the moldbottom 34, between the mold top 32 and the mold bottom 34 or on top ofthe mold top 32 to reduce heat loss from the reservoir to the chilledair 14 through the mold bottom 34 and mold top 32 between the shapes 36defined by the mold 30.

An automated fill system may include a fill pipe 66, shown by FIG. 5.

The following are the numbered elements from the claims, specificationsand drawings:

artisan ice production system 2

freezer 4

insulated walls 6

freezer interior 8

production portion 10

storage portion 12

air 14

artisan ice production unit 16

water 18

surface 20

heat source 22

control system 24

plurality of sensors 26

water bath 28

mold 30

mold top 32

mold bottom 34

shape 36

artisan ice portion 38

reservoir 40

perforation 42

upstanding water bath lip 44

periphery of said water bath 46

lip level 48

mold top lip 50

crenellations 52

fill hole 54

fill lip 56

clip 58

mold top latch 60

water bath latch 62

insulation 64

fill pipe 66

artisan ice engaging feature 68

We claim:
 1. An artisan ice production system, the system comprising: a.a freezer configured to chill an air within the freezer to below afreezing temperature of water; b. an artisan ice production unit, saidfreezer being configured to receive and to support said artisan iceproduction unit, said artisan ice production unit including a water bathand a mold, said water bath and said mold being configured to contain awater, a portion of said mold being configured to be submerged withinsaid water bath when said mold and said water bath contain said water.2. The artisan ice production system of claim 1 wherein said freezerdefines a surface within said freezer, said surface being configured toreceive and to support said artisan ice production unit, said surfaceincluding a heat source, said heat source being configured to provideheat to said water bath.
 3. The artisan ice production system of claim 2wherein said mold defines a mold top and a mold bottom, said mold bottomdefining a perforation communicating through said mold bottom, wherebysaid water within said mold is in communication with said water in saidwater bath when said mold top and bottom are in engagement with saidwater bath and said mold and said water bath contain said water.
 4. Theartisan ice production system of claim 3 wherein said water bath isinsulated against a heat transfer from said water bath to said chilledair within said freezer.
 5. The artisan ice production system of claim3, further comprising: a. an upstanding water bath lip defined by aperiphery of said water bath; b. a mold top lip defined by said moldtop, said water bath lip and said mold top lip extending upward to a liplevel, said lip level being above a level of said water in said moldwhen said mold and said water bath are in engagement and said mold andwater bath are filled with said water, whereby said water does not leakfrom said mold when said mold is filled with said water.
 6. The artisanice production system of claim 5, further comprising: a. a fill holecommunicating through said mold top; b. a fill lip surrounding said fillhole, said fill lip extending upward to said lip level, whereby a levelof said water within said fill lip corresponds to a level in said waterbath and provides a feedback to a user as to whether said mold is filledand as to whether said water bath will overflow.
 7. The artisan iceproduction system of claim 3 wherein said mold defines a shape for anartisan ice, said shape being a sphere or a cube.
 8. The artisan iceproduction system of claim 3 wherein said mold bottom contains anartisan ice portion, said mold bottom is a one of a plurality of moldbottoms, each of said mold bottoms containing a one of said artisan iceportions, said plurality of mold bottoms combined with said artisan iceportions being stackable one on another without contact between saidartisan ice portions, whereby said artisan ice portions may be compactlystored without damage to said artisan ice portions.
 9. The artisan iceproduction system of claim 8 wherein said freezer is configured toaccept said plurality of stacked mold bottoms containing said artisanice portions in a stacked condition.
 10. The artisan ice productionsystem of claim 2, further comprising: a. a plurality of sensors, saidsensors being configured to detect a temperature of said heat source anda temperature of said chilled air; b. a control system, said controlsystem being configured to control said temperature of said heat sourceand said temperature of said chilled air.
 11. A method for producing anartisan ice, the method comprising: a. providing an artisan iceproduction unit, said artisan ice production unit comprising a waterbath and a mold configured to be immersed partially in said water bath;b. filling said mold and said water bath with a water so that mold ispartially immersed in said water bath; c. providing a freezer; d.placing said artisan ice production unit in a chilled air in saidfreezer.
 12. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising:providing a heat source within said freezer, said heat source being incontact with said water bath, said heat source being configured toprovide a heat to said water bath to control a freezing of said water insaid mold.
 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: a. providinga plurality of sensors, said plurality of sensors detecting atemperature of said chilled air and a temperature of said heat source;b. providing a control system, said control system being incommunication with said sensors, said control system be operablyconnected to said freezer and to said heat source; c. controlling saidtemperature of said air and said temperature of said heat source usingsaid control system to control a freezing of said water in said mold.14. The method of claim 12, further comprising: providing an insulation,said insulation being configured to reduce a flow of heat from saidwater bath to said chilled air, whereby a requirement for said heat fromsaid heat source is reduced.
 15. The method of claim 11, wherein saidmold comprises a mold top and a mold bottom, said step of providing saidwater bath and said mold further comprises: a. providing said mold top,said water bath having a periphery, said periphery of said water bathdefining a water bath lip, said mold top defining a mold top lip, saidmold top lip being configured to engage said water bath lip, said waterbath lip and said mold top lip extending upward to a lip level, said liplevel being at or above a level of said water in said mold when saidmold and said water bath are in engagement and said mold and water bathare filled with said water; b. providing a fill hole communicatingthrough said mold top; c. providing a fill lip surrounding said fillhole, said fill lip extending upward to said lip level, whereby saidwater does not leak from said mold when said mold is filled with saidwater and whereby a level of water in said fill lip provides a feedbackto a user as to whether said mold is filled and as to whether said waterbath will overflow.
 16. The method of claim 11 wherein said moldcomprises a mold top and a mold bottom, the method further comprising:a. removing said mold top and said water bath to reveal an artisan iceportion in said mold bottom; b. stacking said mold bottom with saidartisan ice portion in said mold bottom with another mold bottom withanother artisan ice portion, whereby said mold bottom is configured forstacking without damage to said artisan ice portions. c. placing saidstacked mold bottoms and artisan ice portions in said freezer forstorage.
 17. An apparatus for artisan ice production, the apparatuscomprising: a. a water bath, said water bath having an open water bathtop, said water bath being configured to contain a water; b. a mold topand a mold bottom configured for engagement with said water bath, saidmold top and bottom in combination defining a mold, said mold beingconfigured to contain said water, said mold bottom being configured tobe at least partially immersed in said water contained in said waterbath when said mold top and said mold bottom are in engagement with saidwater bath and said mold and said water bath are filled with said water.18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said mold bottom defining aperforation communicating through said mold bottom, whereby said waterwithin said mold is in communication with said water in said water bathwhen said mold top and bottom are in engagement with said water bath andsaid mold and said water bath contain said water.
 19. The apparatus ofclaim 17, the apparatus further comprising: a. an upstanding water bathlip defined by a periphery of said water bath; b. a mold top lip definedby said mold top, said water bath lip and said mold top lip extendingupward to a lip level, said lip level being above a level of said waterin said mold when said mold and said water bath are in engagement andsaid mold and water bath are filled with said water; c. a fill holecommunicating through said mold top; d. a fill lip surrounding said fillhole, said fill lip extending upward to said lip level, whereby saidwater does not leak from said mold when said mold is filled with saidwater and whereby a level of said water within said fill lip correspondsto a level in said water bath and provides a feedback to a user as towhether said mold is filled and as to whether said water bath willoverflow.
 20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said mold bottom is aone of a plurality of mold bottoms, each of said plurality of moldbottoms being configured to hold a plurality of artisan ice portions,each of said plurality of mold bottoms being stackable one on anotherwhen each of said plurality of mold bottoms contains said plurality ofartisan ice portions, said plurality of mold bottoms being stackablewithout touching of any one or said artisan ice portions to any other ofsaid artisan ice portions, whereby said artisan ice portions may becompactly stored without damage to said artisan ice portions.